This invention relates to puzzles, and, in particular, to puzzles wherein a particular shape is formed by assembling together separate smaller component pieces.
Physical puzzles or contrivances which allow a user to assemble a quantity of separate pieces into a recognizable object offer numerous benefits to society. These puzzles typically provide a source of enjoyable activity which is both intellectually stimulating as well as inexpensive. In addition to the recreational aspects of puzzles, properly designed physical puzzles may also function as a valuable developmental tool for children. For instance, while children are playfully operating a physical puzzle, they are developing and refining their mental and physical skills which will be valuable in the future.
Previous puzzles or puzzle type toys include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,699,602, 4,534,563, and 4,153,254, which employ various smaller sized geometric figures that can be assembled into larger geometric structures, for example a cube or other polyhedron. U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,949 similarly allows formation of a cube from smaller sized geometric figures, but couples this exercise with a mathematical task of ensuring that a numerical total on the cube faces, resulting from numerals along the figure faces, is the same for all cube faces. While a useful developmental exercise from the standpoint of improving a child's coordination, these puzzles do not further a child's understanding of, for example, the letters of the alphabet and the relationship these letters have with words and sentences.
Other puzzles, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,732 and German Patent Document 35 00 840 A1, involve the exercise of forming alphabet letters or numbers from variously shaped component pieces. Another type puzzle, disclosed in French Patent Document 2,512,350, involves forming, substantially in two dimensions, a puzzle by fitting geometric shapes together with either component pieces shaped like the letters of the alphabet or arabic numerals. While these puzzles may familiarize a child with the individual letters which compose the alphabet, no word or sentence structures are taught. Furthermore, little three-dimensional conceptualization is required to be used by users of these puzzles.